German 101: Number Story

In order to retain things in memory, associations are helpful. Mom mom taught me an association story for counting to ten in Japanese when I was ten, and it has always stuck with me. So...I decided to try it with a few key languages I want my kids to learn. 

Create a story...

1. Write foreign numbers 1-10

2. Then translate numbers into an equivalent-sounding English word

3. String them together into a simple story line

...

Deliver story and create memory...

1. Tell the story to your child. Embellish it and make it fun and memorable, emphasizing the keys words with emotion or repetition.

2. Tell an abbreviated/simplified story using few words and emphasizing each number in your fingers

3. Then point to each finger one at a time and say the word associated and have your child fill in the parts of the story

4. Next have your child tell you the story as you point to your fingers and ey say the words associated with each one.

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VOCAB: German numbers 1-10

1 Ein(s) (I)

2 Zwei (spy)

3 Drei (dry)

4 Vier (where)

5 Fünf (humph...!)

6 Sechs (zack's)

7 Sieben (see Ben)

8 Acht (Acht, Acht, achoo!)

9 Neun (a-nnoyin-g)

10. Zehn (sane)

The Story... (German Dog: annoying accidents-rooms in house)

(My abbreviated version, but feel free to embellish and connect it with the children somehow so it's easier for them to like and retain.)

Ralph was a dog. He and his brothers were all at home cleaning the house for their mom. Ralph decided to go into the kitchen to help zack do the dishes. Ralph said "I spy a towel to dry with."

As Zack said "where?" He stepped right on the towel and slipped and fell, dropping a jar full of ground black pepper. "FfHumph!"

Ralph was sad his brother slipped..."Oh no! zack's fallen down! See Ben?"

So his other brother Ben came over to the kitchen to see, but when he smelled the pepper that Zack spilled he couldn't stop sneezing... "Acht, Acht, achoo!" 

All that sneezing was annoying! And it was so loud that Ralph would have gone insane. But instead of going crazy he decided to pick up Zack who had fallen and clean up the pepper so ben wouldn't sneeze. Then everyone was happy...including mom, because peace was restored to the kitchen. Haha.